ABSTRACT
Islam's polemical attitude towards Christianity was already dictated by the Qur'an, where fundamental Christian doctrines are disputed. However, according to the sira and Hadiths, Muhammad did not have extensive personal contact with either Christians or Christianity. Arab Christianity was centred in north-western and north-eastern Arabia, in addition to being a presence in south Arabia. Christians in Muhammad's life can be grouped into a number of categories: older, pre-Islamic figures that never converted to Islam but somehow demonstrated foreknowledge of his prophetic ministry or encouraged the growth of Islam. The Christian ruler of al-Ayla is said to have interacted with Muhammad personally and thereby established the basis for Muslim–Christian relations in a manner foreshadowing the Pact of 'Umar. The Hadith materials are mostly historical or pseudo-historical narratives rather than theological or polemical in nature. Standard Muslim doctrine in the Hadith literature portrays the relationship between Muhammad and Jesus as one of completion.
